Book I: The Great Origin
by Monoa
Summary: Who is Mohatu, that Great King we've heard about so often? Maybe this fic will answer most of your questions on the beginnings of Pride Rock and it's kings.
1. The Birth of a Great One

The  
  
LION KING  
  
THE GREAT ORIGIN  
  
Disclaimer:This story is based on "The Lion King", which is, of course,   
  
copyrighted by Disney. However, the only characters within this story  
  
that were invented by Disney are Mohatu and Rafiki. The rest are  
  
mine. Got it? As for the names...they are Swahili, so I obviously   
  
can't claim them as my own. Look 'em up on www.yale.edu/swahili!  
  
The Idea:One might as why I wrote this story. Well, for one, I'm a Lion King  
  
fanatic. But second, I decided to start a series of prequels that would  
  
start at the Great Mohatu's birth, and end at Simba's birth. Namely,  
  
the stories are here to answer some questions about The Lion King.  
  
None of these ideas come from official sources, mind you, but are   
  
my perception on what may have happened.  
  
Q and A:The questions that will be answered during the story are the following:  
  
  
  
1) Who is Mohatu, and why does Disney think it's important that fans  
  
know about him?  
  
2) Who discovered Pride Rock, and how did they go about it?  
  
3) Where did Rafiki come from?  
  
Character Cast of `The Great Origin'  
  
Onevu aptly named, Onevu is the neglectful and somewhat abusive father of  
  
Mtundu and Mohatu. He is the King of Misty Rock.   
  
Tiifu the mother of Mtundu and Mohatu. She fears her mate, so steers   
  
clear of any disputes that he is involved in, even if it concerns her   
  
sons.  
  
Mtunduthe spoiled son of Onevu and Tiifu, and brother to Mohatu. He is the  
  
chosen heir of the Misty throne.  
  
Mohatuthe protagonist. He grows up un-cared-for by both parents, and is  
  
tormented by his older brother, Mtundu.  
  
Mzunguthe future mate of Mohatu and future queen of Pride Rock.   
  
Yolandamother of Mzungu  
  
Hekimathe resident mandrill shaman of the Pridelands, and Rafiki's  
  
tutor.  
  
Tuliclose friend of Mzungu.  
  
Ucheshiclose friend of Mzungu.  
  
Chapter 1: Birth of a Great One  
  
Onevu sat atop the highest ledge on Misty Rock as the sun began to set. He was literally bored out of his mind; Tiifu was inside the den birthing his second child, and Mtundu, his beloved son, was out helping the pride lionesses in their hunt. Mtundu was only two-moons-old, but already possessed great hunting skills, and was of much help to the lionesses.  
  
Suddenly, Onevu heard the distant roars of the pride. The hunt had been a success, and roaring after a successful hunt was a custom, as well as a law. Onevu sighed with a bit of relief. Finally, there would be a fairly decent feast, and would last awhile, he hoped.  
  
Within a few moments, Onevu saw the lionesses coming over a distant hill, and making their way towards the communal feasting grounds. He got to his feet and strode down the fortress of stone to meet with them. He trotted over to a young lioness, who had a golden pelt, that was equivalent to the sun's own hue. She met his eyes with her own, that were a deep amber color.  
  
"Good evening, Yolanda," Onevu greeted. "Successful hunt, I see."  
  
Yolanda turned to the large wildebeest that the pride had captured. It was a male, and a bulky one at that, with plenty of meat to go around. "Yes, that's what I thought, too," she replied, after looking the prey twice-over. "It'll do for supper."  
  
Onevu nodded, and looked over to his son, Mtundu, who was beaming while being praised by the other lionesses. His son possessed the same hue as his father--dark copper, and also had his father's dark green eyes. There was a small tuft of black, where a mane was beginning to sprout at the top of his head.  
  
"And did my Mtundu do his share of the work?" asked Onevu, already knowing the answer.  
  
Yolanda nodded and forced a smile. "Yes, he's quite the little hunter," she replied. Deep down, she couldn't stand Mtundu; for that matter, she couldn't stand Onevu either, even though both were royalty. She thought that Onevu was selfish, and neglected the needs of his pride, as well as his mate, and spoiled Mtundu far too much. Mtundu was much like his father--self-indulgent, and filled with foolish pride--which was the handiwork of Onevu's constant spoiling.  
  
Onevu didn't recognize the look of disgust that Yolanda had thrown in Mtundu's direction, and he beamed. "Yup, quite the hunter," he agreed, "just like his old man! A chip off the ol' block!"  
  
Yolanda looked away, an attempt to hide her disgust. "Indeed." She decided to switch the subject, before she gagged, or said something to Onevu that expressed her feelings towards he and his son. "How is Tiifu coping?" she asked, referring to Onevu's mate. "Is she birthing well?"  
  
Onevu's smiled vanished, and he sneered a bit. "I wouldn't know. Nor would I want to."  
  
"But Onevu..."  
  
"No! Tiifu knew my feelings about having another cub. One was enough, and I asked her to dispose of it...as if she would listen to me," Onevu trailed off, looking toward Mtundu, who was strolling over to him. "Poor Mtundu will get jealous."  
  
Again, Yolanda tried to hide her disgust--this time, in a form of a smile--as Mtundu approached them. He purred and did a figure-8 around Onevu's front legs. "Morning, Papa!" he exclaimed. "Great hunt, wasn't it?"  
  
Onevu smiled proudly, and nudged his son playfully. "Indeed it was," he replied. "I can see that you're going to develop into a fine young hunter...the best in the pride!"  
  
Yolanda groaned again. Just what Mtundu needed--another ego trip. As Mtundu grinned, Yolanda could see the chip on his shoulder doubling in size. The little snot. How she wanted to swat the little ingrate upside the head right now...  
  
"I only wanna make you proud, Papa," Mtundu replied. Onevu nudged him again, and told him to go off and play with his friends. Gods only knew that he had enough of them. After Mtundu had run off to join a clan of lion cubs, Onevu turned back to Yolanda.  
  
"How is your daughter, Yolanda?" asked Onevu. "Have you named her yet?"  
  
Wow, thought Yolanda. He does talk about someone other than himself and his irritating son from time-to-time. I'd better savor the moment. She nodded. "She is well, Onevu, thank you for asking," Yolanda replied. "Yes, I have named her. Mzungu."  
  
Onevu nodded, then a smile spread across his muzzle, and his eyes gleamed in a way that Yolanda hated. "Funny how your daughter and my son have names that sound so much alike, is it not?"  
  
Yolanda frowned. She knew what Onevu was coming on to, and she wanted no part of it. With a glance over he shoulder, in the direction of her sleeping rock--where infant Mzungu lay sleeping--Yolanda sighed. "Gee, Onevu, as much as I'd love to converse with you," she started, "I really feel that I should tend to my daughter now. She's still too young to fend for herself, after all..."  
  
Yolanda began to walk at a brisk pace towards her sleeping rock, hoping that Onevu would leave her alone. But of course he wouldn't. "Wait, Yolanda!" Onevu exclaimed. Yolanda stopped in her tracks, and squeezed her eyes shut in disdain. She should have known that she wouldn't have got off that easy.   
  
Onevu trotted over to her, and sat beside her, his eyes still gleaming. "I'm going to give you an offer you can't refuse..."  
  
We'll just see about that, Yolanda thought.  
  
"What if I offered my handsome son--the heir of Misty Valley--to be betrothed to your daughter, Mzungu," he asked.   
  
Yolanda's ears went back. How did she know he was going to suggest something so putrid? I'll be damned if his snooty son marries my daughter, she said inwardly. Over my rotting dead body... Thinking fast in an attempt to come up with a plausible alibi, Yolanda spoke. "Well, Onevu...I thank you for your kindness, but...well, you see...Mzungu is...already betrothed."  
  
Onevu's face dropped in disappointment. Please, PLEASE, don't let him ask "to whom", Yolanda prayed silently. No effect. "Already betrothed? To whom?" asked Onevu.  
  
Yolanda gulped. Her heart began to race. Mzungu was not yet betrothed, but she needed to say something, or her daughter would be cursed to live with Mtundu forever. All the other cubs were as irritating and mindless as Mtundu. Who else was there? Who, who, who? Wait! Queen Tiifu! She had given birth to a cub. Though she did not know whether the cub was male or female, she'd have to whing it. "To the Queen's new son," she replied boldly.  
  
Onevu's face was blank for a moment. Then anger and shock came upon his face, just as Yolanda had feared and suspected. "You," he started, "betrothed your daughter to my wife's son?"  
  
Yolanda's patience was beginning to wear thin. Queen Tiifu and Yolanda weren't exactly on the friend basis, but it still irritated her that Onevu would show such disrespect toward his own mate. She knew that it was because Onevu still had feelings for Yolanda. Yolanda had came to Misty Peaks after parting with her brother's pride on the other side of the mountains. She knew from the start that Onevu had somewhat of a crush on her, but yet felt obligated to stay with Tiifu. Yolanda could never really stand him--he was so arrogant and full of himself--and she vowed to her brother when she had last met with him that if Onevu made any sudden moves on her, she would return home at once.  
  
She forced herself to keep quiet. Perhaps he would back off.  
  
"How could you do this?" Onevu growled.  
  
Or not.  
  
Onevu pressed on. "How could you show such disrespect and dishonor toward your own king? To your prince? Why, it's public knowledge that Mtundu has the birthright...not this son of my mate."  
  
That was it. Yolanda stared coldly at him. "King or no," she started, "you have no say over what happens to my daughter. Nor does your son. If you continue to press on, I will go back to my brother, where my daughter and myself will be treated with the respect we deserve. Either accept my choice, or send me packing. Your decision, sire."  
  
Yolanda half expected for Onevu to take a swing at her in rage. But he made no such action. He gritted his teeth together, and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control his rage. Yolanda waited patiently as he regained himself. "Fine," he growled through gritted teeth, "but it's your loss, not mine."  
  
With that, he stormed off. Yolanda smiled triumphantly as she watched him leave. Frankly, she had never been happier to see him go. But now, she had to seek counsil with the queen. Looking over to her rock, under which her daughter was, Yolanda checked to be sure that she was still asleep. And she was. Ten minutes wouldn't hurt anything...Mzungu would be fine. So Yolanda began to stroll over to the Royal Lair, to speak with the queen.  
  
******  
  
"Oh, please, Queen Tiifu, please tell me you had a son!" Yolanda begged as she entered the lair.  
  
The lioness who was laying on the floor of the den turned around to face Yolanda. This lioness had light copper fur, and a lighter underbelly. Her eyes were like a sky blue color. She blinked. "Awkward way to greet someone," she said, with a small smile. "What brings you to my cavern, pride sister?"  
  
Yolanda sighed, and stood before the lioness, but kept a respectful distance between the two. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she started. "My name is Yolanda, I moved to this pride a few months ago from over the mountains."  
  
The queen squinted at Yolanda for a moment, then nodded. "Oh yes, I remember now," she replied. "Go on."  
  
"Queen Tiifu, to be completely blunt, we have a dilemma; or rather, I have a dilemma," she continued, "please, I beg of you, tell me you had a son."  
  
Queen Tiifu smiled. She gestured for Yolanda to come closer. Yolanda approached Tiifu, and saw that in her arms lay a tiny cub. It had a copper colored pelt, a darker one than its mother, and was covered in its baby spots. "Yes, Yolanda, I had a son," Tiifu replied, "and his name is Mohatu." She beamed at Mohatu. "My little prince."  
  
Yolanda let out a huge sigh, as if she had been holding her breath ever since she left Onevu. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Your Majesty," she exclaimed. "But I have a question for you...and I pray that you'll forgive me for asking..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Yolanda took in a deep breath. "Please, Your Majesty, will you allow me to betroth my daughter, Mzungu, to your son, Mohatu?"  
  
Yolanda expected Tiffu to frown, and tell her no, no that simply wouldn't do. She expected her to cast her supplication away. But Tiifu took Yolanda by great surprise as her face lit up. "You...you're serious?" Tiifu asked. "You want to betroth your daughter to my Mohatu, over Mtundu?"  
  
Yolanda nodded humbly. "Yes, My Queen. That was my intention...with your permission, of course."  
  
Tiifu nodded, still grinning from ear to ear. "Of course," she repeated. "Yes, my sister Yolanda, my answer is yes."  
  
Yolanda's face lit up as well, and she caught the queen by surprise by nuzzling her. Yolanda immediately realized what she was doing, and pulled herself back, as Queen Tiifu gaped at her. Yolanda smiled, embarassed. "So, so sorry, Your Majesty!" she exclaimed.  
  
Tiifu just smiled. "Oh, my Yolanda," she started, "please don't be so formal. We're in-laws now, after all!" 


	2. Tiifu's Lie

Chapter 2: Tiifu's Lie  
  
Queen Tiifu watched peacefully as night descended upon the land. Onevu and Mtundu still hadn't returned from the hunt yet, and Yolanda had long since left to care for her daughter, Mzungu. Mzungu. Just that name filled Tiifu with an indescribable feeling of pride and joy, that Yolanda would ask Tiifu's permission to betroth her son to Yolanda's daughter. Though nobody in the pride knew about it, Tiifu had always admired Yolanda. Her beauty, her independence, and her intolerance towards Onevu. None of the other lionesses dared to stand up to Onevu. His word was law, and that was that.  
  
Queen Tiifu smiled at her young, innocent son that was resting in her arms. Mohatu betrayed the rich brown hue of his father's pelt and took on the deep golden-tan pelt of his mother. He still had his baby spots as well. "Mohatu, my son," Tiifu whispered, "you've only just been born to me, and you're already betrothed--"  
  
"What did you just say?"   
  
Her heart skipping a beat, Tiifu turned to the entrance of the den, where the voice had come from. There stood Onevu, glaring at her. Only seconds later, Tiifu saw Mtundu run up to his father. "Daddy!" he exclaimed. "We're not done playing already, are we?"  
  
Onevu's face changed from cold and unforgiving to kind and gentle as he looked to his beloved son. "Of course not, my prince," Onevu replied. He placed a paw lovingly on Mtundu's shoulder. "Now, you go outside, and I'm going to talk with Mommy about a little misunderstanding." As he said the last few words, Onevu looked narrowly at Tiifu. Tiifu swallowed hard. But Onevu's reply seemed good enough for Mtundu, who bounded out the door to wait for his father.  
  
Tiifu began to tremble as Onevu made his way towards her. "Now...what was it that you were saying?" Onevu asked.  
  
Tiifu shook her head violently. "N...nothing, my love," she replied, trying to hide her fear.  
  
Onevu's eyes grew even colder. "Because I could have sworn that I heard you say that this...cub...was betrothed."  
  
Now, Tiifu had experienced the results of Onevu's anger many a time in the past, and she wasn't ready to jeopardize her self or her son, just for the sake of standing up to her mate. She shook her head again. "No," she replied. Her mind raced, trying to come up with a good lie. "I...I was actually talking about Mtundu."  
  
Onevu's eyes were no longer cold at the sound of his eldest son's name. "Mtundu? What about him?" he asked.  
  
Tiifu looked to the ground, then to the ceiling, thinking of a good lie. "Well, I've been thinking...perhaps now would be a good time to think about who he shall marry."  
  
Onevu's face lit up. A smile spread across his muzzle. "Ah, yes!" he exclaimed. "Very good timing, my mate. I'm impressed. At first I thought you were saying that he--" Onevu looked at Mohatu and laughed,--"oh, never mind. Back to Mtundu. To whom shall he be married?"  
  
Tiifu didn't know the answer to this herself. She shrugged. "Um, well, you see...since you love Mtundu so much and spent so much more time with him than I do, maybe you should decide!"   
  
Onevu's face turned thoughtful. Please don't say `Mzungu', Tiifu prayed silently, please don't say `Mzungu', oh, PLEASE don't say...  
  
"How about Mzungu?" Onevu asked. "You know, Yolanda's daughter. She's quite a beauty for a cub her age. I'm sure Mtundu would be pleased, and Yolanda honored..."  
  
"NO!" exclaimed Tiifu. Onevu's smile vanished and he stared at his mate. Tiifu cleared her throat and faked a laugh. "I mean, you know how Yolanda is...she doesn't want to give her daughter away to anybody."   
  
Onevu thought on this a moment, then nodded. "True, true," he replied, "but in time, she might change her mind. And when she does...we'll be ready."  
  
I doubt it, thought Tiifu. She decided that now would be a good time to change the subject. She turned to her slumbering son, and smiled to Onevu. "Oh, I guess I forgot to introduce you two," she said enthusiastically, "Onevu, this is your son, Mohatu."  
  
Onevu drew closer to Tiifu and examined Mohatu nonchalantly. "He looks tiny," he replied. "Perhaps he won't live."  
  
Tiifu's face dropped, and her heart took a blow, that Onevu disapproved of Mohatu, and that he would have the nerve to suggest that. She felt like clouting him there and then, but she didn't dare. "They're always small when they're only just born--", she started.  
  
"Perhaps he won't live."  
  
Tiifu met Onevu's eyes, his cold, unforgiving eyes. He really did disapprove of Mohatu. And God only knew what this resentment could lead to in the future.  
  
Without another word, Onevu left the den to play with his prize son. As soon as she was assured that Onevu was out of earshot, Tiifu let out a sob of despair. She buried her face into Mohatu's fur, crying her eyes out. She couldn't believe how Onevu had reacted. Towards their son. Her son. The son for whom she had spent many painful hours to deliver. And the look in Onevu's eye. He looked at Mohatu like a termite, like something that must be terminated as soon as time would allow.   
  
Tiifu gasped. Onevu would wish to do harm to their son. Shaking her head violently, Tiifu growled. No. She would not let it come to that. Onevu would not lay so much as a paw on her son. Mtundu was Onevu's golden child, Mohatu was hers. Whether Onevu liked it or not. "Nothing will ever harm you," Tiifu assured her son, "I won't let it." 


	3. Someone Who Cares

Chapter 3: Someone Who Cares  
  
Sunlight poured through the den's entrance and began to light the main cavern, which was now mostly empty. The resident lionesses had long since vacated the den for the morning hunt, led of course, by Onevu. One could rest assured that Mtundu had tagged along, like he always did, sucking up his first daily portion of glory and attention from Onevu, and a few of Mtundu's own friends, which were indeed very few.   
  
Yet one tiny, slumbering body lay on the hard floor of the den, curled up next to his mother's abdomen. A young lion cub, only two months old.   
  
The mother lioness' eyelids flinched, snapping her out of a dream. Groggily, she opened her sky-blue eyes, and blinking stimaltaneously to bring the world around her into focus. Slowly, she craned her next around to face the mouth of the den. It's morning, she deduced, noting the sun's position in the sky. Scanning the main cavern, she then realized that her pride sisters were out on their usual morning hunt. And here she was, sleeping the day away.  
  
Sighing, she turned to the tiny body curled next to her. She couldn't help but smile lovingly at her child, her son. Her little prince. Roughly, she licked her son's head, posing as his alarm clock. "It's morning, Mohatu," she murmured, "time to get up and greet the day."  
  
Mohatu's eyes slowly opened, and he blinked several times, a habit he had inheritated from his mother, Tiifu. After a long, loud yawn, he looked up at his mother. "Ah, Mom," he groaned, "do I have to get up?"  
  
Queen Tiifu rose to her feet slowly, then nudged her son to his feet with her nose. "You can't just stay in here and sleep your life away, son," she replied.   
  
Mohatu groaned again, then stretched fore and aft. Looking upon him now, any lioness could look at him and see traits from both his father and his mother. Mohatu's baby spots were gone, and his pelt had darkened. It was a copper-gold color, darker than his mother's and his brother's, but far lighter than his father's. His eyes were teal, another mix between his mother and father. And though he was smaller than his brother, Mtundu, had been at his age, he had already begun to sprout a mane, a rich, copper color. He was very good looking for a male cub, but wasn't a seer of hearts like Mtundu. Mtundu had an enormous ego, the handiwork of Onevu's constant pampering, and also knew how to seduce any young lioness, while Mohatu was deathly afraid of any lion in the pride, except for his mother.  
  
Tiifu looked down at her son, admiring his every move. "Why don't you go out and play for awhile?" she asked. "It must be funner than being stuck in the den with your mother."  
  
Mohatu's eyes flicked back and forth frantically. He knew for a fact that he'd rather stay in the den with his mother. It'd be funner--and safer. For every time he left the safety of the den, he was tormented and bullied by Mtundu and his dim-witted friends. Everyday. No, he'd much rather stay in the den.  
  
"Actually, Mum, I'm feeling a bit under the weather," he replied. "So maybe I could stay in here, till it's out of my system..."  
  
"Are you sure? Because everyone's out hunting, so you'd have the whole land all to yourself."  
  
Mohatu blinked. Well, that certainly changed the circumstances. He wouldn't have to worry about his brother. At least until the hunt was over. Perhaps if he went outside, then returned before the hunt was over...  
  
"Alright!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'll be outside for awhile then. Call me if ya need me!"  
  
Before Tiifu could question him about his sudden change of health, Mohatu had bounded out the door. With a smile, Tiifu lay down on the floor and dozed off.  
  
****  
  
Mohatu ran across the long grass of the savannah, feeling freer than he had ever felt before. For the first time in his life, he could enjoy his own company without Mtundu, or anyone else for that matter.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Mohatu spotted a dragonfly flitting past him. Smiling mischievously, Mohatu crouched down, shrouding himself in the long grass. Silently, he pursued his prey, stalking through the reeds. Finally, his patience ran out, and he lunged at his prey, and brought it to the ground, encasing it in his paws.  
  
Opening his paws a crack, he peered in to see if he had succeeded in capturing his prey. Just as he did this, the insect squeezed through the opening. Frantically, Mohatu began to swipe at the air, in vain attempt to recapture the dragonfly, but to no avail. In dismay, Mohatu watched to dragonfly zip off.   
  
"Dang it!" he growled.   
  
Suddenly, he looked off into the distance, and saw several lionesses and one lion dragging their kill toward Misty Rock. Disappointed, Mohatu let out a great sigh. "Well, I shoulda known it was too good to last," he muttered to himself. Turning around, and making his way toward the den, Mohatu stared over his shoulder at the pride. "Better head back to the den before--"  
  
Thud!  
  
Mohatu shook his head, warding off the dizziness, and opened his eyes and found himself lying on his side. He must have run into something--perhaps a tree. "Note to self," he muttered, "watch where you're walking."  
  
"Yeah, that would be a nice start, wouldn't it?"  
  
Mohatu's eyes widened in fear as the familiar voice reached his ears. Looking at what stood before him, Mohatu realized that what he had ran into was certainly not a tree.  
  
Mtundu and two of his buddies loomed over him, all bearing the same manevolent expression. Mtundu had grown drastically over the past two months. He was now a "teen" lion, and proudly sported a partially grown mane; a tuft of fur on each of his cheeks, a tuft on his chest, a line of long fur growing on his neck, and long hair bangs that hung between his eyes. His friends were very similar in appearance, save for the different pelt and mane colors.  
  
Mohatu began to tremble in fear. Maybe he could try to sweet talk his way out of a beating. Just because it hadn't worked in the past didn't mean that it wouldn't work now. Or so hoped Mohatu. Forcing a smile, Mohatu spoke. "Uh, hey, Bro!" he said, voice trembling. "How was the hunt?"  
  
Mtundu raised an eyebrow. "It went great, actually," he replied, "thanks to me, of course. Tragic thing really; lionesses are so beautiful, but when it comes to hunting, they just don't like to stick with procedure. I lay out a perfectly good hunting formation for them, but do they listen? Nooo, they'd much rather do it the hard way."  
  
Mtundu's friends snickered. Mohatu's smile faded. He hated Mtundu's ego; he hated it even more when Mtundu underestimated the intelligence of the lionesses. "Just because they want to do it a different way than you do doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing!"  
  
Mtundu furrowed his brow and brought his face closer to Mohatu's. "Excuse me?" Mtundu squinted menacingly, daring Mohatu to speak. Even though Mohatu was now petrified out of his mind, he wouldn't allow Mtundu to insult the lionesses.  
  
"They know what they're doing, Mtundu," Mohatu continued, timidly. "I've watched them. They bring home plenty of good kills, even without you there. They have more experience than you do, Mtundu. You can't pretend that you don't know that!"  
  
Mtundu's friends' jaws dropped. They had never seen Mohatu stand up to Mtundu before. But they knew for fact that Mtundu wouldn't let him get away with it. Mtundu snarled at Mohatu. "What do you know about lionesses? None of them even want to talk to you. No one in this pride even likes you, Mohatu. Not the lionesses. Not me. Not Dad." There was a pause, then a smile spread across Mtundu's face. "The only one who likes you is Mom. Don't pretend you don't know that."   
  
Mohatu's eyes began to fill with tears, and he began to tremble violently. Mtundu's cruel, heartless words began to eat him from the inside, gnawing at his fragile heart. Naturally, Mtundu fed off Mohatu's fear. His cruel eyes burned into Mohatu's as he drew closer to him, his chuckling friends following only a half-step behind. Mohatu backed up, trying to keep a safe distance between him and his tormentors, even though he knew full well that it was no use.  
  
"Aw, Mama's boy can't handle the truth," Mtundu cooed mockingly.   
  
"Stop," Mohatu pleaded, eyes brimming with tears.  
  
"He doesn't understand that no one likes him."  
  
"Please..."  
  
"And no one ever will."  
  
Raising a paw into the air, Mtundu prepared to beat his trembling brother into submission. Mohatu watched in horror as Mtundu's claws appeared. Helplessly, Mohatu clenched his eyes shut, bracing himself for the blow that would come.  
  
"STOP!" a voice exclaimed.  
  
Time itself seemed to have been stopped by this young voice. Mtundu whirled around, paw still lingering in the air, to see who had spoken. Mohatu's eyes slowly opened to see who was brave enough to stand up to Mtundu.  
  
All four of the lions were surprised to see a young lioness, about Mohatu's age, standing only meters away from the scene. Her posture announced her defiance and bravery, and her orange eyes glowered at Mtundu. She had golden fur, and lighter colored paws, muzzle, and underbelly. Her ears were brimmed with the same light hue. She was certainly a beautiful lioness, even though her face was twisted in anger.  
  
Mtundu, his friends, and Mohatu awed at her as she strode over to them. She moved with a dominant grace. Though she was beautiful, she was certainly not dainty like other young lionesses her age. She looked strong, proud, brave. And angry.  
  
Mtundu quickly noted that his paw still hung in the air, and he brought it back to the ground in the blink of an eye. He gave the lioness his famous "stud smile", for which he was famous. "Hey, beautiful," he said.   
  
"Oh, you think I'm beautiful, do you?" the lioness asked. "Don't let my looks fool you. My kind are unable to stick with procedure."  
  
Mtundu's face dropped. He certainly hadn't expected her to say that. None of the young lionesses could resist his stud smile, but apparently, this one was harder to please. "Yes, but I admire that in a female. I respect lionesses with a good sense of independence."  
  
"It seems to me that you don't have respect for anyone but yourself."  
  
Double whammy. Mtundu couldn't understand. He complimented her looks, and her independence...what else did she want? Mtundu paused for a moment, pretending to think. His face lit up, and he gave her another stud smile.  
  
"Wait, I know you...you're Mzungu, right?"  
  
Mzungu smiled, and her eyes went half-lidded, in a fake flirtatous expression. "Wow, you're smarter than you look. How did you know?"  
  
Smiling triumphantly, Mtundu drew closer to Mzungu. "Why, how could I not know? You're famous for your beauty around here, you know."  
  
Still smiling, Mzungu replied, "Oh, really? Then you must know my mother, Yolanda." Slowly, Mzungu's smile faded into an angry scowl. "She's part of the hunting party. One of the mindless lionesses you were referring to earlier. Hard to believe she's the best hunter in your father's pride...even better than you, O Mighty One."   
  
Mohatu, who had been positively mesmorized by Mzungu's defiance, snapped himself out of his trance and noticed that Mzungu's presence had given him a perfect opportunity to escape. Slinking across the ground, Mohatu slowly made his way away from the scene, unnoticed. When he was sure that it was safe to do so, Mohatu began to sprint, searching for a place to hide.  
  
Meanwhile, Mtundu was beginning to break down. He realized, finally, that none of his attempts to swoon Mzungu were proving affective. In one last attempt, he smiled romantically at Mzungu and said, "Trust me, love, I'm a very good hunter." Suggestively, Mtundu brought his face closer to Mzungu's. "Come with me sometime, perhaps I can catch you something."  
  
"Catch this!"   
  
Mzungu smacked Mtundu across the face--without using her claws--nearly making Mtundu topple over. Bewildered at what had just happened, Mtundu put his paw onto the area that had been hit, which was now burning in pain. Mtundu's friends looked on in shock, that the mighty cassenova had fallen.  
  
Mzungu glared at the confused Mtundu. "Come talk to me when you learn a thing or two about `females'," she snarled. "And leave your brother alone...you have no right to bully him just because he knows more about lionesses than you."  
  
With that, Mzungu trotted off, leaving Mtundu, hurt and humiliated.  
  
****  
  
Mohatu had found sanctuary in a crevice of stone, far away from Misty Rock, so no one could hear his wails of despair. Inside the crevice, Mohatu lay on the ground, chin resting on his paws, crying his eyes out. His face was already wet from tears already shed, and a puddle lay on the ground below him, a small lake of tears. His brother's words swirled in his head. The only one who likes you is Mom....don't pretend you don't know that....no one likes you...and no one ever will...Mama's boy.....Mama's boy....  
  
"Mohatu?"  
  
Mohatu's head shot up as he heard a familiar voice, but this time, it didn't belong to his brother. It was Mzungu. No, it couldn't be. Why would Mzungu be looking for him? He meant nothing to the pride, why should he mean anything to her? But she was, in fact, looking for him. Though he sought comfort that she may be able to provide, he was ashamed to let anyone see him cry. Crying was a sign of weakness. Only infant cubs and females cried. Females? Mohatu was starting to pick up Mtundu's attitude towards lionesses. He shook his head violently. No, no, he wanted to be nothing like his brother. A female had just stood up for him and saved him from a beating, when he couldn't even save himself. He was pathetic. So pathetic.  
  
Mzungu's voice called his name over and over, but Mohatu forced himself to remain hidden. "Stay put, Mohatu," he whispered to himself. "You can't let her see you after what just happened. She'll think you're a wimp for crying...but why does it matter? It's not like I have a chance with her anyhow."  
  
Finally, Mzungu's calls had ceased. Mohatu let out a sigh of relief, but at the same time, felt disappointed that she hadn't pursued him. She could have found him, talked to him, and assured him that everything was going to be alright. Rolling his eyes at himself, he began to squeeze his way out of the crevice. "Well, Mohatu, what did you expect?" he asked himself. "Besides, she's out of your league anyhow."  
  
"Who are you talking to?"  
  
Mohatu whirled around. There stood Mzungu, staring at him quizzically. Mohatu opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His mouth gaped open as he tried to think of something to say. "I...well...no one...really..." he started.  
  
To his dismay, Mzungu smiled. But after inspecting her facial expression for a moment, Mohatu realized that it was a smile of kind amusement, rather than a mocking smile. "You were talking to yourself, weren't you?"  
  
Mohatu's eyes fell to the ground. "Well, yeah...I was."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"'cause no one else is there to listen."  
  
Mohatu turned on his heel and began to walk away in shame. How could he expect her to care about him? He didn't want to bore her, complaining about his loneliness and all.   
  
"Well...I'm here, aren't I?" Mzungu asked, after a moment.  
  
Mohatu stopped in his tracks. At that moment, he didn't know what to think. He just stood there. Realizing that Mohatu wasn't quite sure what to do or say, Mzungu trotted to his side. Smiling, she looked at him, but Mohatu instantly looked at the ground. Mzungu's face fell. "What's wrong?"  
  
Mohatu scoffed. "What isn't?"  
  
Mzungu sighed, sad that she had arrived to his rescue to late. Mtundu had already stolen Mohatu's self-esteem. And pride. And happiness. "Mohatu, don't let your brother get you down," she comforted. "He's already proven that he's an arrogant idiot who knows nothing about reality...or lionesses. But you do."  
  
Mohatu scoffed again. "Right."  
  
"Mohatu..." Mzungu started, scooting closer to him, "...you stood up to your brother, and stood up for all the lionesses, even though they don't treat you with the respect you deserve. That took guts."  
  
Finally, Mohatu looked Mzungu in the eye. "But Mtundu didn't listen to me...he listened to you."  
  
"That's not important. What's important is that you stood up for what you believe in. And you weren't afraid."  
  
Mohatu furrowed his brow. "Not afraid?" he asked. "What, are you blind? I was petrified!"  
  
Mzungu drew back a bit, but wouldn't let Mohatu win the argument. She hadn't let Mtundu win the debate, and she wouldn't let Mohatu win either. "You were afraid of what your brother would do to you...you weren't afraid to speak your mind."  
  
The statement had its desired affect. Mohatu fell silent, and his gaze once again dropped to the ground. Mzungu again scooted closer to him. "But like your brother, you need a dose of reality. Life can be good, Mohatu. I'll prove it to you."  
  
Mohatu looked up at her questioningly. Mzungu smiled. "Meet me at the pond tomorrow at sunrise. I'll show you what I mean." 


	4. A New Friend?

Chapter 4: A New Friend?  
  
"Mom, I'm gonna go outside," a voice called.  
  
Tiifu opened her eyes a crack to see Mohatu standing in the mouth of the den, looking back at her awaiting a reply. Tiifu cocked her head to the side, confused. Mohatu usually avoided the outdoors like some terrible plague, and she had to practically shove him out the door to get him out of the den. This was the first time he had ever decided to go outside out of his own free will. Wondering what caused his sudden change of heart, Tiifu slowly, stiffly, got to her feet and sat down, staring at her son.  
  
"You never want to go outside, Mohatu," she started, "what's changed your mind?"  
  
Mohatu looked outside, then at his mother. With a sigh, he decided that he should explain himself. If he didn't, he would be under suspicious eyes until he did, and he didn't need to add that to his list of problems. "I...I have plans," he replied. "Mzungu told me to meet her outside today so she can..."--Mohatu shook his head, and corrected himself--"...so we could hang out for awhile."  
  
A knowing smile broke across Tiifu's face. Well, we couldn't expect to keep them from eachother forever, she thought to herself. Shortly after Mohatu's birth, she and Yolanda had agreed that perhaps they should restrict Mohatu playing with Mzungu for awhile, to avoid any suspicions that might arise on Onevu's behalf. But still, they were betrothed, and should at least spend some time getting to know eachother. But what if Onevu should see them together? With a distasteful expression, Tiifu violently shook her head, ridding herself of such fears. She smiled again at her son. "That's wonderful, dear," she replied, "but make sure your brother and your father don't see." Tiifu prayed that Mohatu wouldn't ask why, and he didn't. He just nodded, and started out the den.  
  
****  
  
Mohatu closed his eyes as the bright sun rays nearly blinded him as he stepped out of the darkness of the den. He had never seen the sun so bright; maybe it was a sign.  
  
Slowly, he opened his eyes, trying to ease himself into the brightness. Just as everything came into focus, he felt himself being tackled to the ground. Pinned to the ground, Mohatu clenched his eyes shut. No doubt, his attacker was likely his brother Mtundu. "Please, Mtundu..." Mohatu pleaded, eyes still closed, "...I'll do anything...just don't hurt me..."  
  
"Mtundu?" a feminine voice asked. "I'm not that bad-looking, am I?"  
  
Surprised that his attacker was not Mtundu, Mohatu opened his eyes to see who it was. Standing over him was Mzungu, grinning away. Mohatu let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, Mzungu," he sighed, "it's only you."  
  
"Only me?" Mzungu stepped off of Mohatu, allowing him to get to his feet. "So sorry, I didn't mean to disappoint you."  
  
Mohatu rolled over onto his belly. "Disappointed?" he asked. "Why on Earth would I be disappointed to see you?"  
  
Mzungu grinned coyly. "Good question," she replied, "get back to me when you have an answer." With that, Mzungu began to trot off, in the direction of a jungle that lay about a quarter-mile away. Confused that his guest was just leaving him so soon, Mohatu got to his feet and trotted after her.  
  
"Wait a minute..." he started. "I thought we were gonna hang out?"  
  
Stopping in her tracks, Mzungu turned around to face him. "Well, duh!" she replied. "Just not here. Do you really wanna hang out here, where Mtundu can get at you?"  
  
This question required no thought on Mohatu's part. He would rather strangle himself with his own tail than have an encounter with Mtundu. Mzungu saw this written all over his face, and she smiled with satisfaction. She continued on her path that she had chosen especially for today. Mohatu fell into step behind her, struggling to keep up with her quick pace. He had never treaded along this trail before--it felt strange to his paws. But he would gladly bear blisters and knicks, as long as it would spare him from a thrashing from Mtundu. But a question still lingered in his mind: where were they going?  
  
"Uh, Mzungu?" he asked. "Why are we going this way?"  
  
"Oh, just shut your trap and try to keep up," Mzungu replied. Mohatu's jaw dropped. He had never thought that he would hear Mzungu speak in that manner. Maybe to Mtundu, whom she loathed, but not to him. But he decided to shrug it off. She probably meant no real harm in it.  
  
Several moments--what seemed like hours to Mohatu--passed, and they were still on the path at the same fast pace. Mohatu had looked over his shoulder and noticed that Misty Rock was far behind them. And what was worse, he was growing tired. But Mohatu had learned his lesson--he would not question Mzungu on where they were going, or when they were going to get there.  
  
Suddenly, Mohatu crashed into Mzungu, who had stopped right in front of him. He pulled back and shook off. Had he really been that deep in thought that he didn't notice her standing right in front of him? It was possible--he was a very deep thinker, a quality that his mother loved to emphasize as the quality of a great king-to-be. Mzungu turned around and looked at him, and Mohatu smiled sheepishly.  
  
Raising her eyebrows in a surprised manner, Mzungu said, "Wow, so you do smile." Mohatu's smile quickly vanished and he averted his gaze. Mzungu smiled kindly, and caught him off guard by rubbing her nose against his. "You know, you look kinda cute when you smile. You should do it more often."  
  
Mohatu started to blush a bit. Just when he was about to smile, he saw something moving out of the corner of his eye. He looked to his left and saw two cubs making their way toward them. As they drew closer, Mohatu saw that one of them was a male. He had rich brown fur, and had red eyes. The cub was bulky, though not fat. Mohatu deduced that all of this bulk was muscle, and it was obvious that the cub would be able to take Mohatu down with great ease. The other cub was a female. She had pale beige fur, and dark green eyes.   
  
Mohatu had never seen these cubs before. Had they been friends of Mtundu, he would have met them already.   
  
Mzungu left Mohatu's side, and walked over to the two cubs. "Hey guys," she greeted, "I didn't think you were gonna show."  
  
The male cub chuckled. "Why wouldn't we?" he asked. "We'd never abandon a mission assigned by the great Mzungu."  
  
Mzungu playfully cuffed him. The male cub groaned, and rubbed the spot where he had been hit. He then looked in Mohatu's direction. "So, is this Mohatu?" he asked.  
  
Mzungu nodded. "That he is."  
  
The male cub approached Mohatu, with the two females at his sides. "Well, hello there," he said, "Mzungu has told us sooooo much about you."  
  
Mohatu began to tremble. He didn't like the tone in the cub's voice. It sounded just like Mtundu's--deceitful, cold, and wishing to do harm. "She has?" he asked, shrinking back.  
  
The cub nodded, and the three began to circle Mohatu. "Oh yes," he replied. "You're the reason we're all here."  
  
Mohatu shook harder. His gaze flicked from the male cub to the female cub. They both possessed the same deceitful gaze. He looked to Mzungu for support, but gasped when he saw the same look in her eyes, those beautiful amber eyes which had been so trustworthy only moments ago. "W-what are you gonna do?"  
  
The male cub chuckled evilly. "Oh, Mohatu," he said, "you know what we're gonna do."  
  
It all came clear to Mohatu now. Mzungu must have been a hired claw for Mtundu. She would fake a rescue, and make it seem like she wanted to help him. Then, she would lure him away from home and safety so she could arrange an ambush, and get rid of him. "No," he whimpered, as tears came to his eyes, "no, no, no, no..."  
  
"Yes, Mohatu...yes, yes, yes," Mzungu hissed.  
  
"No!" Mohatu shouted. He collapsed to the ground, covered his face with his paws. All the pain, torture, despair and betrayal of his life filled his soul, and he began to cry harder than he had ever cried before as he waited to die--alone, and unwanted. 


	5. It's Not So Bad

Chapter 5: It's Not So Bad  
  
Mzungu and the other two cubs exchanged concerned looks as Mohatu lay on the ground, crying his eyes out. That had not been the reaction they had expected from him. Raising her eyebrows nervously, the female cub turned to Mzungu. "Is he gonna be okay?" she asked.  
  
Mzungu turned from her and looked to Mohatu. "It's hard to tell," she replied. "He's never done this before. At least not when I was around...but that doesn't mean he hasn't done it around Mtundu or his parents."  
  
"He's really got some issues," the male cub said. "Poor guy...we really got out work cut out for us."  
  
"That we do," Mzungu replied. She walked over to the distressed Mohatu and sat next to him. "Mohatu, what on Earth is the matter with you?" she asked softly.  
  
Mohatu pulled his paws away from his face and glared at her. "What's the m-matter?" he sobbed. "What kind of...stupid question is that? I trusted you, and you decided to r-round up your f-friends and ambush me! I'll bet Mtundu put you up t-to this, d-didn't he? I thought you were m-my friend."  
  
Mzungu and her friends all looked at eachother, not quite knowing what to say. They had only been joking around--they didn't think he was going to react in this way. They properly deduced that his psyche was far more fragile than they could ever know, especially if he got the idea in his head that Mtundu had hired them to ambush him.   
  
The male cub walked over the Mohatu and smiled playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "C'mon, Bud," he said, "we were only funnin' with ya!"  
  
"Yeah," the female cub said. "We weren't actually gonna hurt you."  
  
Mohatu wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at them questioningly. They had only been playing? Mzungu gently nuzzled him. "Geez, Mohatu," she started, "what would give you the idea that we were going to hurt you?"  
  
"I...I..." Mohatu sputtered. He didn't know what to say. They had been playing a joke on him, and he started bawling. He felt like a total idiot. With an exasperated groan, he buried his face in his paws, embarassed to even look at the other cubs.  
  
Try as he did, he couldn't hide his embarassment from the others. Mzungu and her friends didn't find it funny though, or think he was an idiot. They felt bad for him, if anything, that he would have experiences that would cause him to react in that way. The female cub walked over to Mohatu and nudged him. "Oh, don't feel bad," she comforted, "it was an easy mistake."  
  
"No," Mohatu replied, "you don't need to be nice about it. I'm such an idiot..."  
  
"No!" Mzungu exclaimed. She used her paw to lift his chin so that they were nose to nose. "No, you're not. And it's our job to get you to see that." Mzungu turned to her friends. "I even went to the trouble of recruiting my best friends to get you back on track. That's Ucheshi,"--she motioned to the male cub--"and that's Tuli,"--she motioned to the female cub--"and they're going to help me to boost your self-esteem."  
  
Mohatu sighed and shook his head. "No...no, you guys don't have to do that..."  
  
"Yes we do," Mzungu replied, "or soon, all your pain and self-hatred will consume you from the inside out. Your choice."  
  
Mohatu looked to the ground. He felt like crawling under a rock right about now. He had reacted like a total idiot to their joke, and now he had to be advised on how to accept himself. What a great life he was living. "Alright," he sighed.  
  
Mzungu's face lit up. "Great! First off, we gotta teach you how to have fun...you could definately use it."  
  
"Fun?" Mohatu asked.  
  
Mzungu, Ucheshi and Tuli stared at eachother. "Boy," Mzungu said, "we do have our work cut out for us." She thought a moment. "Well, since you're obviously an amatuer, we'd better start you off slow. Cover your eyes and count to twenty."  
  
Mohatu stared at her for a minute, as if trying to figure out whether she was really serious. She just stared back, and nodded to him. He groaned. "Oooh boy," he muttered, "a counting game. That's some fun, there." He covered his eyes with his paws. "One...two..."  
  
"C'mon!" Mzungu whispered.  
  
The three ran off in different directions to find a good spot to hide. They all decided to stay within a twenty yard radius, so that Mohatu would at least have a chance at finding them. Mzungu found her spot at the top of a boulder. Ucheshi climbed up into a tree, and Tuli hid in a patch of long grass. "twelve...thirteen..."  
  
Mzungu sat in wait. She wondered how long it would take Mohatu to catch on to the game. They hadn't taken the time to explain the rules to him, since he probably would have question them on how hide-and-seek qualified as "fun". Even though he didn't know what it meant.  
  
"...twenty." Mohatu pulled his paws away from his face and turned to face Mzungu, Ucheshi and Tuli. They were gone. Mohatu let out a huge groan. First they pretend that they were going to ambush him, and now they ditch him? If this was what fun was all about, he wanted no part in it. They seemed to be playing some kind of game with his mind. He didn't like that. Onevu and Mtundu did that often enough. He didn't need it from these three either. "Oh, come on," he groaned, "you guys said you wanted to have `fun'. Is ditching me your idea of `fun'?" No answer. Mohatu rolled his eyes. "Alright then. I guess I can go home then." He turned around and began to walk towards home.   
  
Mzungu shook her head, embarassed that she assumed that he was going to catch onto the game. "You're supposed to try and find us, genius," she called.  
  
Mohatu whirled around. "What?" This seemed completely ludacrous to him. Pointless even. Oh well, it wasn't as if he had anything better to do. "Fine, I'll look for you."  
  
The cubs watched from their posts while Mohatu searched aimlessly for them. Ucheshi, who had perched himself in a branch of the tree, shook his head. This was going to take forever. Why did they have to start with hide-and-seek? There were many more simple games that Mzungu could have chosen.   
  
Finally, after several moments, Mohatu began to make his way toward the patch of grass where Tuli was. The patch happened to be conviniently located next to Mzungu's boulder. Mzungu grinned, as an idea came to her. She crouched low, and waited for Mohatu to get closer. Just when Mohatu was about to uncover Tuli's hiding spot, she pounced.  
  
With a swift movement, she flipped Mohatu onto his back. "Tag, you're it!" she exclaimed.  
  
Heart racing, Mohatu stared up at Mzungu, trying to figure out what had just happened. "What?" he replied, after a moment.  
  
"You're it," Mzungu said, "now you have to try and catch us."  
  
Mzungu jumped off of Mohatu, and waited for him to get up before she ran off. Mohatu nonenthusiastically pulled himself to his feet. "No," he replied.  
  
Mzungu's smile faded, and she stared at him. "What?" she asked.  
  
Mohatu turned fo face her. "No. I don't want to chase you. It's pointless." Mzungu continued to stare. Ucheshi and Tuli jumped out of their hiding spots and stood next to Mzungu, and stared as well.  
  
"But I thought you wanted to--" Mzungu started.  
  
"You wanna know what I want?" Mohatu snapped. "I wanna go home, that's what. I'm sick of you guys, and your idea of `fun'. It's just not gonna work for me, okay?"  
  
Mohatu began to walk off, not giving Mzungu or her friends a chance to reply. Mzungu sadly watched him walk off. With a defeated sigh, she looked to the ground. Ucheshi and Tuli drew closer to her.  
  
"Aw, don't worry, Mzungu," Tuli said, "you tried."  
  
Mzungu shook his head. "No. You guys don't understand. I just wanted to teach him that life isn't all that bad...he can still have a good life, regardless of what Onevu and Mtundu want him to think. I just wish he could understand that--"  
  
THUD!  
  
Mzungu groaned in pain. She had been thrown on her back, and quite hard at that. Painfully, she opened her eyes, and couldn't believe what she saw. There, standing over her, was Mohatu, a big grin on his face. "C'mon, Mzungu," he said, "you know I was just funnin' with ya."  
  
"What...I thought..."  
  
Mohatu jumped off of Mzungu and turned to Ucheshi and Tuli. "Mzungu's it!" he shouted. "Run!"  
  
Mohatu tore off at a speed none of the cubs had ever seen before. Ucheshi and Tuli stared at eachother, then smiles broke out on each of their faces. Laughing, they ran off, leaving the stunned Mzungu to get to her feet and give chase.  
  
****  
  
Day had passed, and night was upon the Misty Valley. It was a clear night, and all the stars twinkled brightly in the cold sky. Mohatu, Mzungu, Ucheshi and Tuli lay on their backs, stargazing.  
  
"Hey, look!" Ucheshi exclaimed, pointing out a shooting star.  
  
All the cubs muttered their `oohs' and `aahs'. Especially Mohatu, who was completely overwhelmed by the mystique and beauty of it all. He had never been outside at night, if at all, so this was a completely new experience for him. Ucheshi noted the amazed expression plastered on Mohatu's face, and he laughed.  
  
"What, Mohatu," he asked, "never seen stars before?"  
  
He and the other two laughed. Mohatu just smiled and shook his head. "No, I haven't," he replied casually.  
  
The other cubs instantly stopped laughing at eachother and looked at eachother. Stargazing was a popular activity among young cubs in the Misty Lands. But Mohatu claimed that he had never done it. At that moment, the three realized just how isolated Mohatu must have been.  
  
Feeling uncomfortable with the silence, Mohatu rose to his feet. "Well, I guess I had better go," he said. "My mom's probably worried about me..."  
  
Ucheshi rolled onto his stomach. "Wait, Mohatu," he said, "you don't have to go, ya know."  
  
Mohatu gave a weak smile. "I know," he replied, "but...I...I just gotta go."  
  
Mzungu jumped to her feet and ran over to Mohatu's side. "Then I'll walk you home."  
  
"Aw, you don't have to--"  
  
"I know, but I want to."  
  
"Well...o..okay..."  
  
Deciding not to argue any further, Mohatu began to walk home with Mzungu at his side.  
  
****  
  
The two were nearing Misty Rock, and neither one had said a word throughout the whole time. The silence was eating away at their nerves, both wanting to know what the other was thinking. They both searched their mind for things to say, but found nothing.   
  
Mohatu, after searching for anything that might start a good conversation, spoke up. "Uh, Mzungu?"  
  
Mzungu's ears perked up and she looked over at Mohatu with a big smile, grateful that he finally had something to say. "Yeah?"  
  
Mohatu looked at the ground for a minute, then looked at Mzungu nervously. "Ucheshi and Tuli...do they think I'm...weird?"  
  
Mzungu drew back. "Weird?" she asked. "What would give you an idea like that?"  
  
Mohatu looked away again. "Well, I'm not saying they flat out said it or anything, but the way they looked at me awhile ago...before I left..."  
  
Mzungu sighed, not knowing quite what to say. She'd admit that she had never met a cub who had never seen the stars before, which was kind of awkward, but not exactly weird. "They don't think you're--"  
  
"Well, well, well, what have we here?"  
  
Mohatu and Mzungu both whirled around, startled by the voice. To their dismay, Mtundu walked out of the shadows, teeth gleaming as he grinned at them. Mzungu instantly greeted him with a scowl. "What do you want?"  
  
Mtundu chuckled. "Well, good evening to you too, my precious gem," he said. As he walked by her, he brushed his tail under Mzungu's chin suggestively. Mzungu angrily pulled away. Ignoring the gesture, Mtundu went on. "I certainly do hope I'm not interrupting anything."  
  
"You are," Mzungu retorted, "now buzz off!"  
  
Mtundu grinned. "Oh, fiesty one, are we?" He turned to Mohatu, and his smile vanished, and a grimace took its place. "Mzungu, forgive me for asking...but what is a beautiful flower like yourself doing hanging out with trash like this?" He looked pointedly at Mohatu.  
  
Mzungu snarled at Mtundu. "I beg to differ," she growled, "for your information, Mohatu is my friend. Something you will never be. And I want you to leave him alone. He never did anything to you." Mtundu drew back. Mzungu continued. "And as for the whole `trash' issue, I think you inherited it. From your father."  
  
Mtundu stared, stunned. Mzungu turned her back on Mtundu and smiled at Mohatu. "Don't let him push you around, Mohatu," she said, "remember, you have three friends to back you up."  
  
Mohatu's mouth went agape. Mzungu winked at him and made her way home. Mohatu felt quite triumphant that night--he passed the rest of the night without being harassed by his older brother. 


	6. Yolanda Advises Tiifu

Chapter 6: Yolanda Advises Tiifu  
  
Days passed quickly for Mohatu, now that he had friends to spend them with. Mzungu, Ucheshi and Tuli were already well on their way to accomplishing their mission of helping Mohatu to believe in himself. Mohatu went from being isolated and melancholy to fun-loving and energetic. Not only did Tiifu notice this change, but so did everyone else in the pride. They all had different reactions to the newly-transformed Mohatu. Tiifu was overwhelmed with joy that her `little boy' was finally happy. The pride sisters were astonished at how outgoing and charming Mohatu was. He won the hearts of several of them, and all of them looked upon him fondly. Mtundu was deeply angered, because now that Mohatu had won the lionesses' favor, they looked upon him like a filthy snake while they looked at Mohatu with love and admiration. But still, he didn't dare harm so much as a hair on Mohatu's head, for fear that Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi would come after him. Onevu had somewhat noticed a difference in Mohatu's place in the pride, but he didn't care much one way or another.  
  
Also, Mohatu was not only growing in confidence but in size as well. He had doubled in size, and he now had a mane growing along his neck and back. His build was quite impressive as well, bulkier and more muscular than Mtundu had been at his age. Though Mtundu had done some growing of his own, once Mohatu reached his full size, he would easily be able to take down Mtundu's sleek frame, and he knew this well, which only added to his hesitation of attacking his younger brother.  
  
Morning had come upon the land, and teenage Mohatu woke before his mother. Silently, he trotted over to her and gave her a lick on the cheek. Tiifu smiled and let out a small groan. "Mohatu, dear," she said, "can't you let your mother sleep in peace?"  
  
Mohatu smiled. "I didn't know that a good-morning kiss would disrupt your peace," he said.  
  
"Oh, you," Tiifu exclaimed, as she gently nuzzled her son. "Get out of here before I have to kick you out."  
  
Sporting a knowing smile, Mohatu returned the nuzzle and trotted out the door into the gleaming sunlight. Just as he was about to trot out to meet his friends, he froze in midstep. Something didn't feel right. He looked around. Yes, there was something wrong. Suddenly, a figure lunged at him from the grass, and he ducked out of the way. The golden figure hit the ground hard and rolled across the ground. With a triumphant smile, Mohatu trotted over to the figure that was now lying on its back. "Nice try, Mzungu."  
  
The golden lioness rolled her orange eyes at Mohatu's statement. "Hey, no harm in trying," she replied. "What are you doing up so early, anyway?"  
  
With his teeth, Mohatu gently pulled Mzungu to her feet by the scruff of her neck. "Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing," he replied.   
  
They met eachother's eyes and smiled. After a moment of this, Mzungu cuffed Mohatu. "Didn't your mother teach you anything?" she asked. "It's rude to stare at a lady."  
  
Mohatu, caught off guard by her statement, let out a hardy laugh. "Oh, really...since when do you qualify as a lady?"  
  
Mock fury flashed in Mzungu's orange eyes. "I'm gonna make you eat those words!"  
  
"Try me!" Mohatu ran off laughing. Mzungu gave chase, pursuing him at a great speed. Strong as he may have been, Mzungu could still easily outrun him. Mzungu lunged at him and threw him to the ground, belly down. "Ah! Spare me!" he giggled.  
  
Mzungu laughed and nuzzled him. "I'm letting you off easy this time."  
  
"Whoo. Thank heaven for that."  
  
"You know I could whoop your butt anyways."  
  
"But of course. Only a fool couldn't see that."  
  
Mzungu cuffed him again. Mohatu laughed softly, then looked up, just in time to see two lions walking toward them with big grins on their faces. One was a rich brown and had a black mane growing along his neck, with a few stray forelocks hanging in his eyes. The other was a light colored lioness. The male smiled. "My my, I hope we're not interrupting," he said.  
  
"Not at all," Mohatu replied.   
  
Mzungu rolled off of Mohatu and rolled onto her stomach and looked up at the two new lions. "Ucheshi...Tuli..." she started, "what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be hunting today."  
  
Ucheshi scoffed. "If only," he replied, "they decided that we're `still not ready'. What a crock."  
  
Mohatu and Mzungu nodded sympathetically. The pride sisters had been promising to teach them how to hunt for months now, and they still hadn't acted upon it. Normally, once a lion, or lioness, reached teen-hood, they were permitted to go on a hunt to prove themselves and become one of the adults. Ucheshi and Tuli had been in waiting for weeks now, and each day, the pride sisters came up with a new excuse not to let them hunt.  
  
Mohatu sighed. He had no doubt that Ucheshi and Tuli's right to hunt had been denied by his father. Tuli wasn't so much of a problem, but if Ucheshi succeeded in his hunt, then he would be the only other `adult' male in the pride, and he would be eligible to challenge Onevu for position of king. And that could be ugly.  
  
The silence began to grow awkward. Mohatu decided to speak up. "Ah, forget about it," he said, "come on, let's go do some hunting of our own."  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, Queen Tiifu had decided to venture out of the den as well. Since Mtundu was born, she had lost much of her social life to tending to Onevu and Mtundu's every whim. While she had had a wide circle of friends before becoming queen, the only friend she now had was Yolanda, whom she hadn't spoken to since Mohatu's birth.  
  
As she walked down the trail that led to the pond, she looked about, in love with the beauties of the outdoor world, that she had been deprived of for oh-too-long.   
  
"Hey, Queen Tiifu!" a voice shouted. "Wait up!"  
  
Tiifu turned her head to see Yolanda running towards her. Tiifu had never been so happy to see a pride sister before. A huge smile spread across her muzzle. "Well, good morning, Yolanda!"  
  
Yolanda finally reached Tiifu's side, and spent a moment trying to catch her breath. "Morning, Highness," she replied between breaths.  
  
Tiifu's ears went back against her skull in discomfort. "Please, Yolanda, don't be so formal," she sighed.  
  
Yolanda looked at her questioningly. "I'm merely being respectful, as required by pridal protocol."  
  
"But you're my friend."  
  
"And you're the queen, and must be addressed as such."  
  
Tiifu let out a sigh of surrender. This was a fight she knew she couldn't win. She was queen, and it was required by law that others address her as `Majesty' or `Highness' or `Queen Tiffu'. It was loathe to listen to such titles on a day-to-day basis.  
  
Yolanda saw the unhappy look on Tiifu's face, and didn't like it either. "So, what brings you outside, Tiifu?" she asked with a laugh.   
  
The sad look on Tiifu's face started to fade, and she replied. "A little fresh air never killed anyone."  
  
Yolanda laughed again. "Well, yeah, I know," she said, "but I didn't think Onevu would ever let you come out of that stuffy cave."  
  
Tiifu's face turned stern. "This has nothing to do with Onevu."  
  
Yolanda's face fell and she looked into Tiifu's eyes. "Of course it does," she replied. "He's the reason you've been cooped up in that cave so long."  
  
"And since when do you know anything about my mate?" Tiifu snapped. "I'd appreciate it if you left him out of this, thank you very much."  
  
Yolanda sighed. "I'm afraid I can't grant that, Highness," she replied. "I've been meaning to speak to you about your mate for some time." No reply. Yolanda took a deep breath and continued. "It's been months since Mohatu was born, and, well, I was wondering if you've told Onevu about his betrothal to my daughter."  
  
"Onevu?" Tiifu scoffed coldly. "I haven't even told Mohatu."  
  
Yolanda's jaw dropped. "Well, when do you plan on telling them?"  
  
Tiifu stared coldly at Yolanda. "Oh, and I suppose Mzungu knows that you arranged her marriage to my son?"  
  
Yolanda's brow furrowed and she stared back at Tiifu in the same manner. "As a matter of fact, yes I have," she replied. "And she believe me. But at least I put forth the effort."  
  
Tiifu gasped. "How dare you question my intentions! I am Queen!"  
  
Yolanda laughed. "Oh, so now you want to be treated like a queen. Pardon me, Majesty." Yolanda bowed mockingly. Tiifu said nothing, but realized that Yolanda had beat her at her own game. She looked at the ground, shamefully. Yolanda looked up and saw Tiifu's expression. Her expression softened, and she approached Tiifu. "I'm sorry, Highness," she said. "I had no right to do that. It's just--"  
  
"Forget it," Tiifu replied, "you were right. I...I just don't know how to handle this whole ordeal, that's all."  
  
"Just tell Onevu."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, I just...he...I just can't."  
  
Yolanda sighed. She had prayed that she wouldn't have to bring up what was discussed in earlier discourses with her daughter. "You're afraid...you're afraid that he'll hurt you or Mohatu, aren't you?"  
  
Tiifu looked up at Yolanda. "I beg your pardon..."  
  
"It's okay, Queen Tiifu," Yolanda said, "I probably would be too, but it's best if you'd just--"  
  
"What ever gave you the idea that Onevu would abuse me?"  
  
Yolanda took a deep breath. "Mohatu told Mzungu, and Mzungu told me," she said. Tiifu looked to the ground, on the verge of crying. "Listen, Tiifu. You have to stop hiding things from him, just because you're scared he'll hurt you. Mohatu doesn't like seeing you get hurt. And Mzungu doesn't like seeing Mohatu hurt because you're getting hurt. It'd be in everyone's best interest if--"  
  
"Stop!" Tiifu shouted. Yolanda stared at Tiifu, who was breathing heavily with anger. "Just stop. Don't pretend that you know my problems."   
  
With that, Tiifu began to storm off. Yolanda let out a sigh. "Alright," she said softly. Tiifu stopped in midstep, and Yolanda continued. "But it's not just your problem. You have a son, who suffers everytime you do. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll be able to fix it. If you don't want to do it for me, or you, do it for your son."  
  
Without another word, Yolanda walked off, leaving Tiifu standing there, Yolanda's words echoing in her mind. 


	7. Tiifu's Insurrection

Chapter 7: Tiifu's Insurrection  
  
Night had once again fallen upon the land, leaving Tiifu laying by the pond, staring at her reflection. All day, she had been alone, dwelling on Yolanda's words. Though she hated to admit it, Yolanda had been right. Tiifu was afraid of Onevu. She knew full well what he was capable of when he was angry, and she had beaten around the bush ever since she became queen to avoid his wrath. All of that resulted in nothing. Less than nothing. Onevu still yelled and hit her whenever she would disagree with him. Mohatu never suffered his father's wrath, since he always came about an hour or so after the fights. She knew how much Mohatu hated to see her hurt. Everytime he came in, he would gape, and nuzzle her and carry on as if it were the first time, and each time, he would vow that someday, he would make Onevu pay. Tiifu shuddered to think of what would happen if Mohatu ever fulfilled those words.  
  
Looking at her reflection, she sighed in despair, at the pathetic being she had become. Just because she allowed fear to swallow her soul whole. But not anymore. She was going to turn over a new leaf--not for her sake, but for Mohatu's. Her precious son, that she had been too afraid and cowardly to protect.  
  
Suddenly, another reflection appeared in the water, standing over her own. Tiifu jumped, startled, afraid that it was Onevu. But it wasn't. It was Mohatu. She let out a huge sigh of relief.  
  
Mohatu looked down at his mother in concern. "Mom, what are you doing out here?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Tiifu turned around and smiled weakly at her son. If only she could answer that truthfully. "No, my son," she replied. "But thanks for your concern." She rose to her feet, and embraced her son, catching him by surprise.  
  
"Mom--"  
  
"Mohatu, listen to me, and listen good," she said gently, on the verge of tears, "ever since you were born, I haven't done my best to support and protect you. I've been to afraid for my own safety, and forgot to pay attention to yours."  
  
"Mom, what are you--"  
  
"Mohatu," Tiifu interrupted, sitting back to look her son in the eye, "promise me that you'll always remember that I love you more than anything. Even if I've done a lousy job at showing it."  
  
"Mom, why are you acting--"  
  
"Promise me, Mohatu," Tiifu demanded.  
  
Mohatu stared at Tiifu. Her behavior was scaring him, and the tears in her eyes made it even more unbearable. But he couldn't deny her a promise. She looked desparate. "Okay, Mom," he replied. "I promise."   
  
A huge smile broke across Tiifu's face and she nuzzled him fiercely. "Thank you, Mohatu," she whispered, nearly choked by her tears. Mohatu just nuzzled her back, tears beginning to make their way into his own eyes. Tiifu drew back and smiled through her tears. She then turned around and began to make her way toward the den, where her mate would be waiting for her. And she was ready to do what she had to do.  
  
****  
  
"And then she just...left."  
  
Mzungu raised both eyebrows at Mohatu. "But, why? What would make her act like that?"  
  
Mohatu shrugged. "I don't know, but I really wish I did." He had never before seen his mother act so compassionate. Normally, she was withdrawn, but would show affection to Mohtatu and Mohatu alone, but that was usually only in the morning when Mohatu would leave to be with Mzungu, Ucheshi and Tuli. And that wasn't only for about a few seconds. "I know this sounds weird, but...I...I worry about her."  
  
Mzungu squinted at him. "Why would that be weird?"  
  
Mohatu took a deep breath. "Well, I mean, she's my mother," he replied. "She's supposed to worry about the way I act, not the other way around."  
  
Mzungu smiled at Mohatu and nudged him. "I think that a mother-son relationship is supposed to work both ways," she said.   
  
Mohatu just smiled, and nuzzled her gently.  
  
****  
  
Tiifu's face remained like stone as Onevu's enormous shadow decended over her. Onevu was obviously on the brink of rage, but she was ready to brave his anger. She knew what she had to do, and she wasn't going to turn away.  
  
"What exactly are you saying, Tiifu?" Onevu asked through gritted teeth.  
  
Tiifu took at deep breath. "I'm saying," she said in a firm voice, "that I won't allow you to harass Yolanda about betrothing her daughter to Mtundu."  
  
Onevu sneered as he drew closer to Tiifu. "Oh, you won't let me," he snarled. "Well, why, may I ask, is that?"  
  
"Because Mzungu is already betrothed," Tiifu started, "to Mohatu."  
  
****  
  
Mohatu and Mzungu stood a few hundred feet from the entrance of the den, just in case Mtundu or Onevu were around. Night was young. The sky was just beginning to grow cold, and the crickets were assembling among the grasses for their evening chorus.  
  
Mohatu turned to Mzungu, with a small hint of a smile on his lips. "Hey, thanks," he said.  
  
With a small laugh, Mzungu drew closer to Mohatu. "What for?"  
  
Mohatu didn't even have to plan his next move. He moved in--as though by instinct alone--and gave a her a tongue-touch to the cheek and nuzzled Mzungu gently, yet lovingly. Closing his eyes to absorb the beauty of the moment, he replied. "For everything. If not for you, I would still be a nothing."  
  
Though still a bit overwhelmed by the surprise of Mohatu's sudden show of affection, Mzungu eventually found it in herself to nuzzle him back. She beamed. "Mohatu, you were never a nothing."  
  
The two drew away from eachother at the same time, as though they had been cued to do so, and smiled at eachother. Both were overwhelmed; overwhelmed by some indescribable feeling that they had felt in bits and pieces during their cubhood when they were together, but were to naive to recognize it for what it was--love.  
  
"Goodnight," Mohatu said gently.  
  
"Sweet dreams, Mohatu," Mzungu replied.  
  
Mzungu started on the trail to her mother's rock, but stopped in mid-step, turned to smile again at Mohatu, then continued on. Mohatu let out an amorous sigh and made his way towards the cave.   
  
Standing in the mouth of the cave, Mohatu paused. Something was wrong. It was quiet. Not a nightly, peaceful kind of quiet, but rather, an eerie quiet. He didn't like it. It made the small hairs of his mane prick up. Taking a cautious step into the cave, he cleared his throat. "Mom?" Suddenly, something in the back of the cave caught his eye. He squinted, trying to make it out. Drawing back, he let out a small shriek of horror as he finally realized what it was. 


	8. Tragedy

Chapter 8: Tragedy  
  
Mohatu's eyes widened in terror in disbelief at what lay before him. There on the hard floor of the den lay Tiifu, motionless. No...no, no, no, no... thought Mohatu. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening. He broke through the barrier that held him there in the doorway and rushed to his mother's side.  
  
"Mother," he whimpered. Ever so gently, he leaned down and nudged Tiifu. She didn't respond. "Mother," he said again, this time with uncertainty and fear entering his voice. He nudged her again, more desparately. Still no response. He began to tremble. Tiifu was dead. With a sigh of despair, Mohatu hung his head as the tears began to fall.  
  
"Keep staring at her," a dangerous voice said, "she might do a trick."  
  
Mohatu whirled around, wondering who dared mock his lamentation. Out of the shadows of the cave walked none other than Onevu, staring coldly at Mohatu. Mohatu's eyes widened. It couldn't be. This seemed all to similar to some sort of tragedy story he would have heard as a cub, to teach him some sort of moral lesson. But there was no moral lesson here. There was only him. Him and his mother--and the monster responsible for her death.  
  
Mohatu began to tremble again, but this time, not with sadness or fear. Despair and anguish were replaced by ire and hatred as he watched his father walk closer to him. "You," Mohatu snarled, hatred seeping through his voice.  
  
"Yes, Mohatu," Onevu replied, rather calmly. "Me."  
  
Mohatu stared as his father walked closer. His breaths came more rapidly, more dry, more vicious. Onevu seemed, overall, unphased by his son's behavior.  
  
"You seem sad," Onevu pressed. "Why ever would you feel sad?"  
  
Filled with uncontrollable rage, Mohatu threw himself at Onevu. Onevu--though surprised by Mohatu's reaction--reared up on his hind legs and used his powerful forelegs to throw Mohatu backwards onto his back. Mohatu hit the ground with a sickening thud. Onevu watched nonchalantly as Mohatu gasped for breath, trying to figure out what had just happened. Patiently, Onevu waited, as if following some carefully-calculated plan to strike Mohatu's weak spot. Once Mohatu was able to figure out what had happened, and was staring up at Onevu once again with contempt, Onevu continued.  
  
"So, tell me, Mohatu," he said in a seemingly uninterested voice, "how is Mzungu...your betrothed?"  
  
The word betrothed, filled with venom, hit Mohatu like a slap in the face. Betrothed? He had never been aware that he was betrothed to Mzungu. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.  
  
Onevu's expression changed instantly. Eyes burning into Mohatu like fire, he clouted Mohatu upside the head, sending Mohatu tumbling halfway across the cave. "Don't play dumb with me, you little ingrate!"   
  
Opening his eyes painfully, Mohatu moaned. The world whirled around him. His head throbbed, and his ears rang so loud that he could barely hear Onevu's shouting. Shaking his head violently to bring everything back into focus, he saw the huge bulky frame of Onevu coming towards him. "Hmm, perhaps your mother didn't tell you," Onevu said thoughtfully, "didn't tell you that she had set you up with Mzungu without my prior approval." Stopping for a minute, he looked off into the distance and smiled, as if remininscing. "Your mother..." he started, "...she thought she was quite the smart one. Hiding secrets from me like that. Smiling to my face. Acting as if she were my loyal, loving mate. But she didn't know...didn't know that I was far smarter than she. The fool." His face filled with anger once more as he directed his gaze at Mohatu. "You certainly take after her."  
  
He clouted Mohatu again, arousing a pain-filled scream from his son. Mohatu lay on the ground, trembling, helpless. He stared up at Onevu angrily. How he hated him. He wanted nothing more than to tear him apart and leave his filthy entrails all over the cave floor. But he would have to have no common sense to think he could take on Onevu. Though Mohatu was very bulky, Onevu was still huge compared to Mohatu. He could snap Mohatu's neck with one snap of his powerful jaws.  
  
Onevu smirked at Mohatu triumphantly, and made his way slowly to his mate's carcass. Eyes half-lidden with boredom, he nudged her unceremoniously with a paw. "Don't feel too bad, Mohatu. This was destined to be her fate. Someone had to teach her a lesson."  
  
He couldn't take it anymore. With a great cry of anger and vengence, he lunged toward Onevu. Suddenly, he saw a flash of copper, and then heard a loud thump as everything turned black. Pain shot through him as his head collided with the hard floor of the cave. At this rate, he'd be lucky if he didn't suffer some kind of cerebral hemorrhage. He had been hit enough times, gods only knew.   
  
Upon opening his eyes, Mohatu saw Mtundu standing over him. However, Mtundu didn't look arrogant and menacing like he usually did. In fact, his fact was filled with utter confusion more than anything else. "Good gods, Mohatu, what are you doing?"  
  
Mohatu didn't reply. His gaze shifted to Onevu, who stood there staring defiantly at him, daring him to spill what had just happened. Mtundu followed Mohatu's gaze to Onevu. Then, his eyes instantly fell upon the corpse of his mother laying on the ground.  
  
"Mother!" he whimpered childishly. He ran over to Tiifu's body. He nudged her gently, but aroused no reply. He gasped, instantly realizing that his mother was dead. "What happened?" Mtundu turned to his brother and father, gaze shifting from one to the other, seeing who could provide him with an answer.  
  
Mohatu gulped. He silently prayed that he wouldn't have to be the one to tell his brother that their mother was dead. Dead? No. She couldn't be. Not his mother. Not his mother whom had reared him and treated him with such kindness since the day of his birth. She couldn't be dead. Just couldn't.  
  
Onevu--who had only moments ago looked so indifferent about the whole ordeal--sighed sadly and began to make his way over to Mtundu. His face was filled with anguish and--what Mohatu guessed--fake sadness.  
  
"My son," Onevu said, his voice soothing and paternal, "I...I wish I didn't have to be the one to tell you." Mtundu gasped and his eyes widened, waiting for the emotional blow that was pending. "Your mother is dead."  
  
"No!" cried Mtundu, tears flowing forth. "No, no, she's not! You're wrong! Wrong!"  
  
Mohatu drew back. He had never seen his brother react this way. Mtundu had always been a stone--seemingly careless and unfazed by everything. But now, Mohatu was seeing a whole new side to his brother. A side that scared the life out of him.  
  
Mtundu fell into Onevu and began crying into his father's mane. "Shhh," Onevu soothed. He gently stroked Mtundu's small mane. "It's all going to be okay."  
  
Mtundu let out a wail. "Who...who w-would do such a thing?" he sobbed. "Why?"  
  
Onevu sighed again, sadly. "I wish I could answer those questions for you, Mtundu," he said lovingly. "But I'm afraid the only one who can answer those questions"--Onevu suddenly turned to Mohatu, and met Mohatu's eyes with a cold, unforgiving gaze--"is your brother." 


	9. Realization

Chapter 9: Realization  
  
Mtundu whipped his head around to face Mohatu. His eyes gleamed with anger and hatred, and his gaze was so intense that Mohatu felt like curling up in a ball and dying. He had never seen Mtundu enraged like this. Mad, yes, but never enraged. He was capable of horrible deeds when he was in a good mood, and Mohatu shuddered to think what he would do to Mohatu now.  
  
Mohatu shook his head vehemently. "No," he said meekly, "no, Mtundu, I would never--"  
  
"You," Mtundu snarled, making his way toward Mohatu. "You, of all the pride members..."  
  
Mohatu began to shrink back. "No, Mtundu, I didn't!"  
  
"Murderer."  
  
"No."  
  
"Cold--"  
  
"Mtundu, please..."  
  
"--blooded--"  
  
"...you have to listen to me!"  
  
"Murderer!"  
  
Mtundu lunged at Mohatu with every bit of strength in his body. The two tumbled across the cave floor, and out the cave opening. Finally, they slowed to a stop. Mohatu pushed Mtundu off of him and painfully tried to pull himself to his feet. But he was too late. Mtundu jumped to his feet and with a powerful strike of his paw, hit Mohatu square in the temple, sending him hurtling several feet away, towards the ledge of Misty Rock.  
  
Mohatu moaned. His ears rang so loud, he felt as if his head would explode. With another moan, he lifted his head from the cold, hard rock. "Mtundu, you don't understand," he managed.  
  
Mtundu loomed over Mohatu menacingly. "No, it's you who doesn't understand," he snarled. Mtundu struck Mohatu again. Mohatu gasped as he noticed that there was no longer ground beneath him. Panicking, he sent his arms flailing in all directions, trying to catch hold of something. Suddenly, he felt his claws latch onto something hard. Opening his eyes, he looked up to see that he had just barely caught hold of the edge of Misty Rock. He looked over his shoulder. Long fall, if he should slip. He gulped.  
  
"So, it's come to this," a voice said.  
  
Mohatu jumped so hard that he nearly lost his grip on the rock. He looked up to see Mtundu sitting on the ledge. Mohatu gulped. Why did it have to come to this? he asked himself. His mother dead. His father accusing him of her death. His brother believe him. And likely, Mohatu's own death. Why?  
  
"Mtundu, please..." Mohatu whispered desparately, "...don't do this!"  
  
Mtundu laughed cruelly. "Don't do this?" he sneered. His face turned sour. "Don't do this? You're the one who did this!" Mtundu bent down so he was face to face with the terrified Mohatu. "You sealed your own fate. At the same moment you killed my mother."  
  
Mohatu's eyes welled up with tears. So this was what it felt like to be accused for a crime you didn't commit. He shook his head slowly. "No..." Anguish gripped him with painful talons and began to eat him from the inside. The internal pain he felt now would probably kill him before Mtundu would have a chance to push him to his fate. Unable to contain himself, Mohatu burst into tears. He cried for the first time since his cubhood `ambush'.   
  
Mtundu stared down at his brother. Suddenly, he became overwhelmed by Mohatu's anguish. He knew that Mohatu had always been very sensitive, which was why he made such a great victim. How could such a character kill his own mother? Mohatu despised violence, and had too soft a heart to harm anyone. Let alone his mother, whom had been his only supporter throughout most of his life.  
  
"The only one who loves you is Mom." A familiar tune echoed in Mtundu's ears. He shuddered, remembering he was the one who had said it. Sadness gripped his heart--how could he be so cruel to his own flesh and blood? Mohatu had always been so submissive, so afraid to show who he really was. He spent his entire cubhood cowering in the shadows of Onevu and Mtundu. What a life to live.   
  
I'm a monster, Mtundu realized. Here he was, standing over his brother, who was dangling feet above his death. Crying, bawling. Like the timid, sensitive being he had been made to be. Thanks to Mtundu. And his father.  
  
Mtundu's face softened as pity and regret filled the dark hole that had so long been his heart. Mohatu didn't kill his mother--their mother. "Mohatu," he muttered, "I...I'm sorry--"  
  
Suddenly, the piece of rock that Mohatu had been clinging onto crumbled. Mohatu desparately tried to catch hold of something, but there was nothing. He was going to die. He felt himself falling. Suddenly, he felt something sharp sink into his foreleg, and he stopped falling. After letting out a roar of pain, Mohatu opened his eyes to see what had happened. All he saw was Mtundu, with his arm outstretched, and his claws buried in Mohatu's skin. He was shocked. "What--" he started.  
  
"Give me your paw," Mtundu commanded.  
  
Mohatu didn't think Mtundu was serious at first, so he just stared at Mtundu quizzically. Mtundu nodded. "Give me your paw, and I'll pull you up, Brother."   
  
Mohatu stared in amazement. Mtundu just smiled warmly, a friendly smile that Mohatu never thought he'd see from his brother. This kind of smile--not his usual, sadistic smile--made him look really quite charming. Perhaps if he used it more often, he'd have a mate.  
  
Mohatu reached out and grabbed his brother's arm. Mtundu nodded his approval. With a grunt, he used all his strength to try and haul Mohatu up and over the ledge. Slowly, Mohatu felt himself being lifted toward the ledge. He helped the process by digging his rear claws into the wall and climbing up. Finally, with a great grunt, Mohatu and Mtundu both collapsed onto the top of the rock. 


	10. Brother's At Last

Chapter 10: Brothers at Last  
  
After a few moments, Mtundu and Mohatu managed to catch their breath. Mtundu turned to Mohatu and smiled slyly. "Well," he said, still panting a bit, "at least you're not all skin and bones anymore."   
  
Mohatu laughed a bit. He couldn't even describe how he felt. His brother, who had long since been his rival, was now acting as a true brother would act. Mohatu didn't know what made Mtundu change, but he couldn't be more grateful. "Thank you," he said.  
  
"Mtundu, what have you done?"  
  
Mtundu and Mohatu both turned their heads to see and angry Onevu storming towards them. Mohatu began to draw back a bit, but Mtundu gave Mohatu the look that clearly said `stay put'. With a gulp, Mohatu braced himself. Onevu positioned himself so that he was looming over Mtundu in a dominant manner. "Have you no sense at all?"  
  
Mtundu just glared at Onevu. Onevu growled impatiently. "Well?" he exclaimed. He shot a look at Mohatu. "He kills your mother and you're just going to let him get away with it?"  
  
Mtundu stared defiantly at Onevu. "He didn't kill Mother."  
  
Onevu was silent for a moment. He then drew closer to Mtundu, his face only inches from Mtundu's own. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Did I stutter?" Mtundu snarled cockily.  
  
Onevu drew back a bit. His claws twitched, and Mohatu knew that as a sure sign that Onevu was growing dangerously close to hitting his son. "We both caught him at the scene of the crime," Onevu started quietly, "is that correct, Mtundu?"  
  
"That's correct," Mtundu replied.  
  
"So, what more proof do you need?"  
  
"I have reasonable evidence to deny Mohatu's guilt."  
  
Onevu's face twisted with rage, and he raised his paw, ready to strike Mtundu down. Mtundu looked up, unafraid. "And that evidence happens to be written all over your paw."  
  
Onevu paused, and his face dropped. His eyes slowly drifted toward his paw, which was stained with Tiifu's blood. He had been caught red-handed. Literally.   
  
Mtundu smiled triumphantly at Onevu, knowing that he had won. Mohatu watched, squirming with anticipation. He wondered what would happen next. This was proving to be the ultimate face-off between father and son.   
  
Mtundu rose to his feet, and Onevu began to tremble. Mtundu now had the upper hand, and Onevu knew it. Fear filled his eyes. His mouth began to fall open. "Now, now Mtundu," he started, "let's not jump to conclusions..."  
  
"Since I have found reasonable evidence that you have murdered my mother--," Mtundu started, rising to his feet.  
  
"Mtundu, hold on," Onevu muttered, drawing back.  
  
"--I, as prince and rightful heir to the throne--"  
  
"Let's not be hasty." Onevu laughed nervously.  
  
"--I charge you with the murder of the Queen--"  
  
Onevu gulped. He suddenly felt his rear end hit rock. He turned around to see that he had been cornered against a wall. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. He had no alibi.   
  
"--which is punishable by death."  
  
Onevu began to shake violently. Mtundu raised his paw menacingly over his head, ready to deliver the blow that would kill his father. Onevu clenched his eyes shut and waited for the final blow. Just as Mtundu was about to clout his father, he felt Mohatu's paw holding his arm back. "Mtundu, wait," Mohatu warned.  
  
Mtundu turned to face his brother. "Mohatu, he's guilty," Mtundu replied, "he murdered our mother, and he needs to pay the price."  
  
"Don't forget, Brother," Mohatu started, "murder is also punishable by terminal exile. Why kill him? That would make you no better than him. It's hypocrisy in it's worst form."  
  
Mtundu stared at his brother. He had never known his brother to be so wise. Or so keen on pridal policy. Murder was, in fact, punishable by death, or exile. Exile would prevent any more spilled blood than had already occurred. The death of Queen Tiifu would certainly disrupt the order of the pride for awhile, but the death of both King and Queen would be a double blow to them.  
  
"Fine," Mtundu replied. "It shall be so. Onevu, you are hereby banished from the Misty Lands. Return without royal authorization will result in death...you've been warned."  
  
Onevu didn't need an invitation. With one last look at Mohatu, Onevu ran off in the direction of the border of the Misty Lands.   
  
Mtundu stood on the ledge of the rock, watching boldly as his father disappeared over the horizon. The sun was just beginning to rise, and hues of gold, orange and pink filled the young sky. Mtundu inhaled deeply. What a night.  
  
Mohatu slowly approached his brother. "So, I guess this means you're king now," he pointed out.  
  
Mtundu's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about that. With both Onevu and Tiifu gone, it was his duty to become king and carry out the royal duties. Though he had been enthusiastic about his royalty as a youngster, it had been out of sheer greed and hunger for power. Likely, this was because he had watched his father and taken lessons from him on royal duties, and Onevu had not been the wisest of kings. He realized that now. He also realized that being king wouldn't be fun and games. "I guess you're right," Mtundu said, somewhat distantly.  
  
Mohatu immediately noticed the tone in Mtundu's voice. He expected that Mtundu would be jumping for joy by now. It was every male lion's dream to have a kingdom to call his own. So why was Mtundu so withdrawn about it? He gently nudged his brother. "What's wrong, Mtundu?" Mohatu asked. "You're King now. You have this whole kingdom all to yourself!"  
  
Mtundu remained distant. "I know."  
  
"So why so glum?"  
  
Mtundu sighed. "It's just that," Mtundu replied, "this kingdom is huge. It covers God-only-knows how many miles, and I'm supposed to see to its tranquility? Me, one lion?" He sighed again and shook his head. "And quite frankly, Mohatu, after the way I treated you"--Mtundu's eyes grew dull and sad--"I doubt that I'm fit to be King."  
  
There was a brief silence. Neither of them could think of anything to say. Mohatu couldn't deny Mtundu's previous cruelty, but couldn't find a way to convince Mtundu that he would be a better king than his predecessor. "Mtundu, I..." Mohatu started. He paused for a moment, trying to arrange his thoughts into words. "...I'll admit that you were very unfair to me in the past. But today, you were able to turn over a new leaf, and prove that you were capable of rising above what Dad made you. You believed me. You saved my life. You didn't let Dad manipulate your mind. You stood up to a higher rank than yourself to see to it that justice would win." Mtundu looked to Mohatu with inquisitve eyes. Mohatu smiled warmly. "Those are qualities that any good king would have."  
  
A huge smile made its way onto Mtundu's lips, and Mtundu caught his brother off-guard by suddenly embracing him. "Thank you, my brother."  
  
Suddenly, the moment was broken by the sound of several sets of paws running up the fortress of stone. They both turned to see Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi running toward them.   
  
"Mohatu!" shouted Mzungu desparately. Mtundu quickly moved aside, and Mzungu fell into Mohatu, nuzzling him fiercely. "Mohatu, you're alright!"  
  
Mohatu nuzzled her back, still a bit stunned by her sudden appearance. "Of...of course I am," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
Mzungu didn't reply. She just began to purr loudly, and continued to nuzzle him. Ucheshi stepped forward. "We saw Onevu run off," he started. "He looked terrified."  
  
"He had blood on his paws," Tuli continued, "and we figured that he must have hurt someone."  
  
"We looked up and saw you two up here," Yolanda continued, gaze shifting from Mohatu to Mtundu, "and thought there must be some kind of trouble."  
  
Mohatu looked over to Mtundu, who was aloof from the scene. Tuli, Ucheshi and Yolanda were all giving him the same skeptical look, and Mohatu didn't doubt for a second that it was making Mtundu uneasy. "No, no trouble," Mohatu replied, a smile playing on his lips. "Mtundu and I were just discussing his new kingdom."  
  
Yolanda, Tuli and Uchesi gasped, and exchanged looks of terror. Even Mzungu drew back and stared at Mohatu as if he had lost his mind. "What?" she exclaimed.  
  
"No, no need for alarm," Mohatu said quickly. "Let me tell you what happened."   
  
So Mohatu told the whole tale: how he had arrived to find Tiifu dead to how Mtundu forced Onevu to step down. The four followed Mohatu's story, hanging intently on each and every word. Occassionally, they would look over at Mtundu, but kept their ears on Mohatu's words.  
  
"...and that's what happened," Mohatu finished. He looked over at Mtundu with a smile. "Still want to kill him?"  
  
Mzungu shook her head. "It's all very perplexing," she replied, "it's not that we don't believe you...but this is about the last thing we expected to happen."  
  
Mtundu finally stepped forward and stood before the other five lions. "And I wish it hadn't happened as late as it did," Mtundu replied, "I should have realized the error of my behavior long ago, and Dad should have been banished long ago. Maybe even killed." Mtundu closed his eyes painfully. "It kills me to think that if I had just showed a bit more empathy toward Mohatu and stood up to Dad, Mother would still be alive today."  
  
The others nodded, not in agreement, but in empathy towards Mtundu's own guilt. Mohatu drew closer to his brother. "Don't blame yourself," he said softly.  
  
"It's hard not to," Mtundu replied. He opened his eyes. "But what's past is past. Now we need to see to the future." Ucheshi, Tuli, Mzungu and Yolanda nodded and muttered in agreement. "Now, I'm sure that you'll all agree that the Misty Lands are vast. Many miles, many potential dangers...far to much for an amateur king like myself to handle."  
  
Again, the four nodded. Mtundu nodded his approval. "Now, since we are all in agreement on that, I've made a decision," he started, "I've treated Mohatu horribly in the past. I know that there's no way I can take it back, but I can mend the wounds and make things the way they should be." Mtundu turned to Mohatu. "Mohatu, you will rule with me. Side by side, we'll see to the safety and justice of the Misty Lands."  
  
Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi gaped. Mohatu himself looked surprised. "Mtundu, I...don't know what to say," he started.  
  
"A simple `yes' will suffice," Mtundu said with a grin.   
  
Mohatu smiled. "Yes."  
  
Yolanda, Mzungu, Tuli and Ucheshi sat back and watched the scene play out. Half bewildered, and half touched by the sentimental moment. It seemed so ironic. Two brothers who had been enemies since cubhood had finally learned to accept and perhaps even like eachother. Now they would be ruling together. Things were finally the way they should have been to begin with.  
  
****  
  
Mohatu and Mtundu stood atop Misty Rock looking down upon their kingdom. All the pride had gathered for the ocassion and were sitting just below the peak, staring up at the two, anticipating the start of the ceremony.   
  
Mohatu looked down at the pride from the peak of Misty Rock. They all trusted him now. They all accepted him. And best of all, he no longer found an enemy and tormentor in his brother.   
  
Standing in front of the rest of the pride was Mzungu, Yolanda, Tuli and Ucheshi. They looked up at him, smiling knowingly. Mohatu smiled back. He then looked at Mzungu. She was smiling, but he saw something beyond that smile. Tenderness. Trust. Happiness. Love?  
  
At that moment, all uncertainty left his mind. He was in love with Mzungu. Not a crush, like it had been in the past, but true, real love.  
  
Mohatu let out an amorous sigh. Mtundu looked over at his brother. He then followed Mohatu's gaze, and smiled knowingly. "You okay, Mohatu?" Mtundu asked jokingly. Mohatu snapped out of his state and looked at Mtundu questioningly. "You look a little light-headed," Mtundu said.  
  
Mohatu laughed a bit and smiled. "Naw. I'm fine."   
  
Mtundu raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Shall we begin?"  
  
Mohatu looked back to Mzungu and nodded. Mtundu just shook his head and approached the edge of Misty Rock. He took a moment to look down at the pride. They were under his control now. They were his responsibility. It was his duty to see to their well-being, as well as the well-being of the rest of the kingdom. Trying to suppress a worried look that was begging to emerge, Mtundu inhaled deeply. But he wouldn't do it alone. He had his brother, Mohatu, to rule with him at his side.  
  
Filled with a new sense of confidence, Mtundu roared, symbolizing his inheritance of the kingdom. The pride roared back. Mtundu looked over to Mohatu, who was looking quite uncertain about the whole ordeal. With a grin, Mtundu nudged his brother. Mohatu, surprised by Mtundu's sudden action, staggered a bit, then looked at him questioningly. Mtundu nodded to him. Mohatu gulped, and began to take slow, tentative steps toward the ledge of Misty Rock. Taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, Mohatu roared. He paused, surprised by how powerful his roar had sounded. Mtundu smiled at Mohatu's reaction as the pride roared in return.   
  
A smile came upon Mohatu's face. He and Mtundu exchanged a brief look, then both split the air with a dul-noted roar. The pride joined in on the chorus. Once the roaring had ceased, Mohatu looked down at his new subjects. Among them were Tuli, Yolanda, Ucheshi and Mzungu. Upon noticing his gaze, Tuli, Yolanda and Ucheshi smiled up at their king and bowed respectfully. Mohatu smiled back, then turned to Mzungu. Mzungu smiled warmly and bowed her head.  
  
Mohatu was pulled out of his moment when Mtundu playfully shoved him. Mohatu gave a small laugh and shoved him back.   
  
Filled with a sense of ecstasy he couldn't find the words to describe, Mohatu looked up to the sky, and felt his mother's presence. "Don't worry, Mother," he whispered, "everything is fine now. Just look around and see."  
  
A gentle breeze made its way through Mohatu's half-mane, and Mohatu closed his eyes, smiling. Yes, everything was as it should be. 


	11. Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTES  
  
Well, wasn't that an exciting chronicle? At least, I hope it was. Lord only knows it took me hours and hours to complete the whole thing. Hopefully you liked it--but deducing from the number of unexpected reviews I got, I think it's safe to say that it was well-liked by most.  
  
I really wasn't expecting many, if any reviews. This is my first fanfic, and as such, I expected it to be...well, below average. But I was proved wrong. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!  
  
Well, during the writing process, I got several questions about the story and its contents. So I'll take a moment to answer them now.  
  
Q: Can you supply us with the definitions of the characters' names?  
  
A: Certainly. Onevu (cruel, malicious, oppressive, violent), Tiifu (obedient, submissive, loyal), Mtundu (pampered/spoiled child), Mzungu (queen, surprise, talent), Tuli (quiet, reserved, silent), and Ucheshi (humore, good temper).   
  
Q: Where did you get all the information on Mohatu?  
  
A: Well, I didn't really get any information from anywhere on Mohatu. Disney just supplied me with the name, and told me that he is Ahadi's father, and I was left to draw my own conclusions. Mohatu is the most canon-TLK character there is, to the best of my knowledge, and there is little information on him anywhere. My source was www.lionking.org/text/encyclopedia.txt.  
  
Q: Yolanda told Onevu that Mzungu was betrothed to Mohatu. Why did he later react the way he did?  
  
A: If you recall, after Onevu heard this from Yolanda, he went to speak with Tiifu herself. Tiifu denied it, and instantly changed the subject to Mtundu's future mate, this disracting Onevu from getting any further interest. Onevu knew how submissive Tiifu was, and doubted she would dare lie to him. Also, he likely knew how hard-headed Yolanda was about her daughter and thought that she had probably just stated her daughter's betrothal to Mohatu to escape Onevu's proposal. Since Mzungu and Mohatu spend so much time together during the middle of the story, Onevu would have to be completely stupid--which he certainly isn't--to not see that there was something going on. What set him off down the road was that Tiifu dared to defy him. The betrothal was just another reason to kill her.  
  
Q: Didn't you say before that both Mohatu's parents didn't care about him? Why did you make it seem like his mother did?  
  
A: I'm guessing you're referring to how I described Tiifu in the introduction. If that's what you're talking about, the intro describes her as a lioness who hates confrontation, and will avoid disputes with her mate, even if it concerns her sons, which holds true throughout the story. She loves Mohatu very much, but is hesitant to defy her mate's wishes whether it has to do with her beloved son or not.   
  
Hmmm...I guess that's not so many questions. But oh well, at least they're answered. *grins*  
  
Anywho, I'll bet you're wondering, `Hey, what about Rafiki? What about Pride Rock? That isn't the end, is it?' No, it isn't. While I was typing the last chapter, I decided that this would be a good time to bring this segment of the story to a close. It would be, well, unprofessional to put in something that seems so much like an ending, then continue it, all in the same story. Rather, I decided to have installments of the Great Kings stories, as apposed to my original plan (One book for Mohatu, one for Ahadi, and one for Mufasa and Scar). This will make it less confusing, easier to follow, and easier on me. So you can expect anywhere from 3-9 more installments. I won't exceed 10, however. At least, not for the Great Kings stories. There's still the matter of my ideas on interquels and sequels...and yes, I do have some ideas regarding post-SP.  
  
I'll be very busy for quite awhile doing my fanfics, and also, attempting to draw and upload some new pictures onto the TLK.org archive. I'm working on drawing some scenes from this story, and will upload them as soon as I have at least 5 or so...feel free to e-mail me picture requests from your favorite scenes. The more pictures I have, the sooner I will upload.  
  
Any requests, questions and comments can be e-mailed to me at monoa_891@hotmail.com. Heck, you can ask me some questions about the next installment if you want to...but be forewarned, I won't give you so much information as to ruin it for you. If they are comments regarding the story, just review. Otherwise, e-mail me, but include a good subject title, so I can distinguish it from the junk mail. (REQUEST: TGO, QUESTION: TGO, etc.)  
  
So, I guess I'll leave you with that for now. Kudos to everyone who made it through all 10 chapters!  
  
--Monoa 


	12. Yet Another Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE II  
  
Well, this isn't really an author's note, but rather, a note of apology. My computer is misbehaving of late and I have been unable to access anything on my computer, including the beginning of my next Book for the series. It could be awhile before I update—art, fics, anything. So please be patient. It may take up to a month, but I guarantee I will update as soon as I get the chance. Thanks for all the reviews, support, comments…everything. You guys rock. wink  
  
Again, to reiterate, questions, comments, and art requests can be e-mailed to me at monoa891hotmail.com. Just make sure it's titled accordingly so it's not deleted. (COMMENT TGO; REQUEST TGO, etc.)  
  
--Monoa 


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